Although the various music programs rarely perform together, the Holiday Musical Festival allows student musicians to showcase various skills in this holiday show.

“The show is very festive, and we decorate the stage with poinsettias,” Orchestra Director Charles Abplanalp says. Unique to this concert, all disciplines of the arts will be performing.

This concert has a deep history embedded in the school, as it has been going on for around 90 years.

Unlike other music events that the school hosts, Band, Orchestra and Chorus, will share the stage. According to Mr. Abplanalp this is a rare occasion, it shows the holiday spirit and togetherness. Chorus will showcase, a Concert Choral group to an acapella group at the show.

Each group will receive around 15 to 30 minutes of stage time. The performers will play a range of holiday classics to more  classical, non-holiday, timeless pieces to bring the show together. With the huge range for performer and shows this is probably one of the longest concerts the school puts on.

“Not all of the pieces are holiday songs, but a lot of them are and really get everyone into the spirit of the holidays,” junior violin player Owen Travis says. “The audience will get a chance to hear wonderful holiday music that we have worked hard to prepare.”

A song that Abplanalp believes will stand out is the last of a Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Little Russian.

“What makes this performance different from others, is the new group choir group at ETHS, Advanced Vocal Ensemble,” junior Choral member Nev Collazo says. “It will be exciting to see them perform.”

Some of the songs that chorus will be performing include, Coventry Carol, Jingle Bells, Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, along will other well known holiday songs.

The audience of the shows is mostly likely one of the biggest with around 1,000 attendees coming.

“We have a lot of alumni that come back for this,” Abplanalp says. “There are even parents of kids who were once in band, orchestra or chorus that come to this concert, just because it is festive.”

The school has been putting on this show for almost a century now, each year bringing cheer and joy to the Fine Arts Dept.

This show is free of charge, but, donations are appreciated. The concert will be held in the auditorium on Dec. 17 at 3 p.m.